It is no secret that Liverpool want to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham to solve their midfield problems next summer. Sources have told ESPN that the 19-year-old England international is a prime target for manager Jurgen Klopp and sporting director Julian Ward in 2023, but the shifting sands of form and results have suddenly made the race to land him for around £100 million much more difficult.
Liverpool have developed a well-earned reputation for being ahead of the curve when it comes to player recruitment. Detailed research into the transfer market and extensive scouting have enabled the club to seal bargain deals for the likes of Mohamed Salah (£36.9m), Sadio Mane (£34m) and Andy Robertson (£8m), as well as fending off wealthier rivals to complete more expensive transfers for Virgil van Dijk (£75m) and Alisson Becker (£66.8m). All of those players have since been crucial to Liverpool’s success in England and Europe. But Liverpool’s long-term planning when it comes to constantly refreshing and improving Klopp’s squad has gone off the rails this summer.
Ward, who replaced Michael Edwards as sporting director at the end of last season, was credited with moving quickly to beat Manchester United to the £85m signing of Darwin Nunez from Benfica in June as a replacement for Mane following his £27m switch to Bayern Munich. Ward was also praised for playing a key role in accelerating a £37m move for Porto winger Luis Diaz in January when Tottenham and United showed interest in the Colombia international ahead of Liverpool’s plan to sign him in the summer.
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But while the moves for Diaz and Nunez were, at the time, seen as Liverpool continuing to lead the way in the transfer market by acting decisively to secure long-term targets, Klopp’s concerns over his midfield options went unheeded until the final hours of this summer’s transfer window when, with injuries mounting in that department, a…
Source : espn
